The archaeological site of the ancient Locri Epizephyrii is located in Reggio Calabria's province, few kilometres away from the modern Locri. However it is not the site in which the first Greek settlers arrived. As a matter of fact, they first went ashore in the bay adjoining cape Zephyrium (the ancient denomination of the headland, nowadays called cape Bruzzano, which is due as Strabo suggests us, from its peculiarity to protect the bay from the Zephyrus, the western wind). Then, after few years, they made for north, starting the building of the proper city upon Epopis hill.

The arrival of the settlers happened near cape Zephyrium probably because, as the historical tradition tells us, this was a place usually used both from merchants and Greek sailors; the formers used it for commercial exchanges with the natives; the ladders used it as landing place for a simple stop or for supplies. Therefore it was a well-known place for the newcomers Greek settlers.

After camping on cape Zephyrium, the settlers started to have closer relationships with the natives, drawing up some peace agreements with them. At the same time the settlers began the exploration of the territories to the north of cape Zephyrium, discovering very soon that they were more suitable for the development of the new polis. They focused their attention particularly on the coastal zone below the native camp of Ianchina (today's name of the zone), much more fertile and rich of water than the hills near cape Zephyrium. Then, they took the decision that the new discovered zone would have been the definitive site of their settlement.

However there was the problem of the peace agreements drew with the natives; but the Locrians, according to Polybius' narration, resorted to a trick: "[...] (The Locrians), living on (native) territory, were welcomed by natives providing that they had promised to use that territory together with the natives until they had walked on that same ground, and had their head screwed on. But, as it is said, the Locrians took the oath after had strewn the inside sole of their shoes with some soil and had put on their shoulders, well hidden, some heads of garlic. After a while they took the soil away from their shoes, threw away the heads of garlic and attacked the natives [...]". (Polybius, Histories XII, 6-3)

Then Ianchina's native camp was destroyed; finally Locri Epizephyrii's settlers (we are now between the end of the VIII century b.C. and the beginning of the VII century b.C.) could start to build their city, 25 km to the north of the site where they had arrived some years before.
Anyway, in the name of the city remained a reference to the site of their arrival; as a matter of fact, Oi Lokroi Oi Epizephyrioi is a plural form that can be translated this way: The Locrians who live next to the Zephyrium.